2/01/2007

The National Weather Service is reporting that the number of tornadoes in Missouri in 2006 cracked the 100 mark for the first time in history. There were 102 documented tornadoes throughout the state. That SHATTERS THE PREVIOUS RECORD of 84 that was set in 2003. The state average of tornadoes is between 20 and 28. Here's an explanation: the UNUSUAL tornado activity resulted from an UNUSUAL set of circumstances where the traditional "Tornado Alley" saw drier weather. The contrast between dry and wet weather, which are the optimal conditions for tornadoes, was farther east in Missouri and Illinois. On the Fujita Scale, Missouri mostly saw tornadoes ranked f0 or f1. F5 on the Fujita scale is the most deadly and destructive.